REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS 

IMAM GHAZZALI'S
IHYA ULUM-ID-DIN


Translated by

FAZL-UL-KARIM

VOL. IV - PART II

CONTENTS

Chapter 10. Death and subsequent events         383

Section I
Modes of thoughts of Death 385 
Death of Prophet and four Caliphs 394 
Burial and matters relating to it 408 
Meaning of life and death ' 410 
Punishment of grave 413

Section 2                     419
Events of Resurrection 421 
Paradise and Hell 430 
Vision of God and God's mercy 433



THE REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS LEARNINGS
The Book of Constructive Virtues

PART II



CHAPTER X
DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
There are two sections under the chapter. In the first section, there are eight matters-(1) Merits of the remembrance of death, (2) Long hope, (3) Intoxication of death, (4) Prophet's death and that of his companions, (5) Death of noted persons, (6) Funeral prayer and visit of graves and graveyards, (7) Meaning of death and conditions upto blowing of Trumpet, (8) To know the conditions of dead persons in dream.
Merits of the remembrance of death. Know, 0 dear readers, that the man who is grossly immerged in the world and cheated by its charming coquetries, in unmindful of the remembrance of death. He does not remember death. When he is reminded of it, he does not like it. God said regarding such man : The death from which you flee away must meet you. Thereafter you will be led to the knower of the world seen and unseen. You will then be informed of what you did-62:6.
Mankind is divided into three classes-(1) One who is addicted to the world, (2) one who is repentant and (3) one who has surrendered to God. The man who is addicted to the world does not remember death. He hates death and lives far away from the remembrance of death. (2) The repentant man remembers death and fears it. Often he does not like death as he fears to die before he makes sincere Tauba or repentance or purifies his soul from corrupt deeds. He does not think bad of meeting with death and God, only because he is not fully prepared for it. He is always busy in preparation to meet them. (3) The Aref or God-addicted man always remembers death as he likes to meet with his Beloved. The lover cannot forget to meet with his Beloved. He loves to meet with death to save himself from the house of sin and live in the nighbourhood of God. When death came to Hazrat Huzaifa, he said : The friend has come at the time of need. There is no use to repent. 0 God, if Thou knowest that poverty is dearer to me than riches, disease is dearer to me than health, death is dearer to me than life, make death easy for me till I meet Thee.
Merits of the remembrance of death. The Holy Prophet said : Think more of that which destroys happiness. Hazrat Ayesha
384 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
once-asked the Prophet : 0 Prophet of God, will anybody rise with the martyrs? He said : That one will rise with them who remembers death twenty times a day.

The reason of this good is that remembrance of death keeps him far away from this world of deception and compels him to prepare for the next world. The Prophet said : The gift of a believer is death. The reason is that the world is a prison for the believer as he lives here in difficulties and wants, control his passions and drives away the devil, so death gives him relief from this punishment. The Prophet said : Death expiates the sins of every Muslim. He meant such a believer from whose tongue and hands other Muslims remain safe, who is repository of the character and conduct of a believer and whose mind is not polluted with sins other than minor sins. The Prophet said Remember death too much as it obliterates sins and makes you God-fearing in this world. Once the Prophet came out towards the mosque, on the way he found some people engaged in cutting jokes and telling stories. He said to them : Remember death. Beware by One in whose hand there is my life, had you known what I known, you would have laughed little and wept much. Hazrat Ibn Omar said : I along with ten other companions were near the Messenger of God. Then an Ansari asked him: 0 Prophet of God who is the wisest and honoured of men? He said: Those who remember death most and prepare most for it. They pass away with this honour in the world and the next.
Saying of sages. Caliph Omar-bin-Abdul Aziz gathered together every night the learned men and heard froni them of death, resurrection and next world. The saint Ibrahim Taimer said : Two things robbed men of the pleasures of this world-thought of death and fear of standing before God. The saint Ashas said : Whenever we went to the great saint Hasan Basari, he used to talk with us about death, hell and the next world. Once a man complained of his hardness of heart to Hazrat Ayesha. She said : Remember death most, your mind will become soft. He obeyed this and his mind became soft. When death was talked of before Jesus Christ, blood flowed within his veins. When talks of death were held before David, he wept so much that his hairs stood on end. When God's grace was talked of, he returned to his previous condition. The saint Hasan Basari said : I found no wise man who did not become sad for fear of death.
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 385
Caliph Omar bin Abdul Aziz once said to a sage : Give me admonition. He said : Nobody from Adam down to your father was safe from death. Now your turn has come. At this Hazrat Omar began to weep. The great saint Rabi-bin-Asem dug a grave within his house. He used to sleep there daily several times. This reminded him of death. He said : If the remembrance of death goes out of my mind even for an hour, my mind becomes polluted.

MODE OF THINKING OF DEATH

Know, 0 readers, that death is terrible. People are unmindful of death as they do not think of it. He who remembers it, does not do so with his whole heart. So death-thought does not cast any influence on him. The mode of thinking of death is to free your mind from all thoughts and put in it only thoughts of death. Be like one who embarks on perilous sea voyage. When thought of death covers his whole mind and becomes predominant, his worldly happiness decreases and his heart breaks. The best mode of thinking of death is to remember the death of friends and neighbours, their burial underneath the ground and their faces and conditions in the graves. How their beautiful faces have become foods for worms and insects, how their wives and children, being orphans and stricken by extreme poverty, are passing their days miserably, how their properties have been destroyed. Think individually one by one. Think how death overtook them suddenly without any notice and how unprepared they were for death and the next world. The saint Abu Darda said : When mention is made of the death of a man, think yourself as one of them. Ibn Masud said : He who takes lessons from the condition of others is fortunate. The Caliph Omar bin Abdul Aziz said : Don't you see that you equip for a traveller with goods for going to God each morning or evening and put him underneath the ground, while he leaves his friends and dear relatives and his properties and riches for ever? The saint Muti once looked towards his house and got satisfaction. At this he began to weep and said : By God, had there been no death, I would have taken great pleasure in looking towards you. Had the place which I will occupy after death would not have been narrow, I would have cooled my eyes by seeing this world. Thereafter he began to cry like a child.
386 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
PANGS OF DEATH
The wise Loqman said to his son : 0 dear son, you don't know when death will attack you. Be prepared for it before it suddenly overtakes you. Know that he who has suffered the pangs of death, will only understand them, but he who has not suffered them may only understand them, but he who has not suffered them may only understand them by conjecture or seeing the pangs of death of another.
Conjecture: The body which does not contain life does not feel pangs. It is only the body with life that feels them. This shows that life only feels the pangs. When any animal receives a wound or is burnt by fire, the effect of it falls upon his life. It feels pain to the extent which comes upon it. It is less felt because of its expressions in flesh, blood and other organs of the body. When life only suffers without any other thing, the feeling of pangs is very severe. The pangs of death are felt by life only as it is snatched away from the bodily limbs which contain life. If a thorn pinches a limb, it affects a portion of life. If a part of the body is burnt by fire, it effects the whole body as there is life in every portion of the body. When that life is snatched from every limb, what a greater agony it feels. It is snatched away from every sinew, from every joint and even from the root of every hair from head to foot. The crying of man's voice is then cut off as he reaches the pinnacle of pangs and pains. The Prophet said Repentance is not accepted when a man reaches his final stage. God says in verse 4:18- Repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds until when death comes to one of them, he says Surely I now repent. He said : 0 God, make the pangs of death over Muhammad easy. The Prophets and the friends of God feared death. Jesus Christ said: 0 my disciples, pray to God that He may make the pangs of death easy on me. I am dead-alive on understanding how great are the pangs of death.
It has been related that a party of the Banu Israel were passing once by the side of a grave-yard. They began to talk : If anyone of you prays to God that a man from this graveyard may rise up and give us information of the graves, it would have been good. They therefore prayed to God for this. Suddenly a dead man rose up from a grave and in the place between his eyes, there were signs of prostration. He said: 0 people, what do you want from me? I have been suffering from the effects of the pangs of
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 387
death for the last fifty years. What I suffered at the time of death has not yet been lessened. Hazrat Ayesha said : I don't believe that the pangs of death may lessen in the case of anybody as I saw the great pangs of death of the Messenger of Allah at the time of his death. The Prophet said : 0 God, you are taking life from the sinews, bones and even from the finger tips. 0 God, make the pangs of death easy for me. He said at the time of his death : The pangs of strikes of 300 hundred swords fell upon me.

Once he was asked about the pangs of death. He said : The pangs of death which are not easy are equal to the pangs that are caused by the constant snatching of ironhook with three heads after it is penetrated in to the two eyes. Once the Prophet went to a patient and said : I know what pangs you are suffering from. There is no sinew of his which is not suffering the pangs of death. Hazrat Ali gave encouragement to the joining in Jehad and said If you do not join Jehad, then face death. By One in whose hand there is my life, it is easy for me to bear the strokes of death by one thousand swords than to suffer the pangs on death bed. The great saint Shaddad-bin-Anas said : Death is the most terrible of all the dangers of this world and of the next. It is more painful than the cutting to pieces by sword or by scissors or being burnt in kettle. If a dead man could have risen and informed the inmates of the world of the pangs of death, they would not get any benefit by being alive and would have been deprived of sleep.

The Prophet said: Sudden death is solace to a believer and a grief to a non-believer. He said: If the hair of a dead man is placed upon the inmates of the heaven and earth, they all will die by the pressure of its weight, as every hair is subject to death and if death falls upon anything, that thing also dies. At the time of death of Prophet Ibrahim, God said to him, 0 my friend, how do you perceive death? He said : That is just like the repeated snatching and drawing of a heated iron hook in wet wool. God said : I have made it easy for you. It has been related that when the soul of Moses was taken before God, He asked him 0 Moses, how did you find death pangs? He said : I have found my life just like a sparrow. If a living bird is roasted in a cauldron, it cannot fly, nor it can be safe from the death pangs. I suffered death pangs just as it suffered. It is reported that at the time of the death of the Prophet there was a pot of water near him. He dived his hand in it and began to wash his face and said : 0 God, make death pang
388 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
easy for me. Hazrat Fatima said at that time, 0 my father, what a great pain over you! The Prophet said: There will remain no pain on your father after this day. Hazrat Omar once said to Ka'ab Ahbar : 0 Ka'ab, give me some information about death. He said 0 Commander of the Faithful, death is like a hook full of numerous thorns and penetrated into stomach. Every thorn is fixed to every sinew. Thereafter a man draws it with great force and accepts what comes out therefrom and rejects what does not come out.
Three terrors of death: The first terror is the terrible pangs at the time of death. The second terror is the sight of the figure of the angel of death and entry of fear and terror in mind. The third terror is that the sinner sees his place in Hell and the virtuous one sees also his place in Paradise. The first we have described above. It has been narrated that the Prophet Ibrahim said to the angel of death : Can you show me once your own figure when you take the life of a sinner? He said : You will not withstand it. Ibraham said : Yes, I shall withstand it. The angel of death said : Turn your face from my front. Then he turned his face from his front and saw that the body of the angel of death is deep dark complexioned, having rough straight hairs, stency, covered with black dress, flames of fire coming out of his mouth and nostrils in streams. At this, Abraham fell down senseless. On regaining consciousness, he saw the angel of death in his previous form and he said : 0 angel of death: If the sinner sees nothing except your figure at the time of his death, it will be sufficient punishment for him.
The Prophet said: The Prophet David was prone to fear. Whenever he went out, he closed all the doom of his house. Once he went out thus closing all the doors of his house. His wife later on saw someone inside the closed house. She asked him : How have you entered the house? If David comes, he will cast danger on your head. When Devid came and saw him, he asked him Who are you? He said : I am that one whom the kings and emperors fear and the friends of God cannot prevent him. He said : By God, your are then the angel of death. A t this, he covered himself with blanket.
It has been narrated that once Jesus Christ was passing by a human skeleton, He stroke it with his foot and said : Speak with me by the permission of God. The skeleton said : I was a king of
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES ^Q9
this place. I was seated on the throne with crown on my head and with my soldiers all round me and with all my pomp and grandeur. Just at the time the angel of death came to me. My limbs became paralysed at my seeing him and my life went away with him.

The Prophet Abraham had a place of worship. Whenever he came out of it, he close its doors. Once day he returned and found some one inside it. He asked him : Who inducted you in my house ? He said The owner of the house inducted me in it. He said : I am its owner. He said : He who is the Lord of yourself and mine has inducted me therein. He said : Are you an angel ? He said : I am the angel of death. He said : Will you show me your form with which you take the life of a believer ? He said : I am showing it. Turn your face from me. Then he saw him like a good handsome youth with white cloth on him and his body was filled up with good scent. He said : 0 angel of death, if a believer does not see anything about your form except only this, that is sufficient reward for him. Then he sees at that time two angels who write the book of deeds.

The third terror at the time of death is that the dying man sees his place either in Hell or in Paradise. His life does not come out until he hears the announcement of the angels about his place either in Hell or in Paradise. The Prophet said : Nobody from among you will come out of the world till he knows his destination and till he sees his place either in Hell or in Paradise. He also said : Whose loves to meet me, God also loves to meet him. God does not desire to meet one who does not desire to meet me. The companion said : Nobody of us likes death He said The matter is not that. If the condition of the believer becomes easy regarding what will come over him, he loves to meet God and God also loves to meet him.
Once Merwan went to Abu Hurairah at the time of his death and said : 0 God, make death easy for him. Hazrat Abu Hurairah said : 0 God, make it difficult for me. Then be wept and said : By God, I don't weep because I am sorry to leave this world but I look towards two things from my Lord-Hell or Paradise. Hazrat Hasan Basari said : The believer has got no other happiness than that of meeting with God. The day of death is the day of happiness for one who feels joy at his meeting with God.
390 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
DUTIES ON THE EVE OF DEATH
Know, 0 readers, that the conditions which are necessary for a dying man are the following-to be clam, to be peaceful, to recite with tongue the Kalema Shahadat and to have good conjecture about God in mind.
Calm attitude: The Prophet said : Look to the dying man with his three conditions. When perspiration comes out on his forehead, when his eyes shed tears and when his lips become dry, the blessings of God are poured upon him. When his throat gives out gurgling sound, his colour becomes red, his lips become mud- coloured,the punishment of God befalls on him. The Prophet said : Teach your dying man to recite "There is no deity but God" because it obliterates sins. The Prophet said; He who knows' at the time of death that there is no deity but God. will enter Paradise. Hazrat Osman said : When death comes to a man, teach him, 'there is no deity but God; as he who dies reciting this Kalema will enter paradise. Hazrat Omar said : Be present before your dying men and remind them of Allah's names, because they see what you do not see and teach them that' there is no deity but God: The Prophet said : The angel of death came to a dying man and found nothing in his heart. Then he pierced his tongue and found in a corner that it recites 'there is no deity but Allah.' God forgave him for this. The object of this utterance is that at the time of death, that there should be no thought in his mind except the thought of God, and no goal in his mind except the goal to meet with Him.
TO HAVE GOOD THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD
The Prophet said : God says : I am with My servant who harbour good thoughts about Me. Once the people went to a dying man and said : How are you? He said : I hope to get God's mercy and i fear sins. The Prophet said : God gives the man who harbours these two thoughts at this time what he wishes and keeps him safe from what he fears. The great saint Sabet Bonani said : A young man was addicted to pleasure. His mother used to give him advice and said: 0 my darling, remember the inevitable hour which will come to you one day. When death came to him his mother fell upon him and said : 0 my darling I warned you repeatedly of this catastrophe. He said : 0 mother, my Lord is merciful. I hope that He will show me something of His mercy
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 391
today. The saint Sabet said : Owing to his good conjecture about God, He showed him mercy. The saint Jaber said that a young man was conceited. When death came to him, his mother said to him : 0 my darling, give me some admonition. He said : I am giving, don't go with my ring as there is the name of God therein. Perchance Allah will show mercy on me for that. When he was buried. Jaber dreamt him and he said : Info?m my martyr that the Kalema has done me benefit and God has forgiven me. Once a desert Beduin fell ill He was told that he would die. He said Where shall I be taken? The said : To God. He said : I am not unwilling to go to Him. He will surely do me good.
GRIEF AT THE TIME OF MEETING WITH
ANGEL OF DEATH
Hazrat Sulaiman said to the angel of death: Why do I not find you to do justice among the people? You take away the life of one and give up that of another. He said : I am not more informed than you about this. It is written in a book wherein there are the names of all and it remains with me.
The great saint Wahab-bin-Monabbahg said once that a powerful king intended to visit a country. He ordered his best dress to be brought and he put on it. He ordered the best horse to be brought and he rode on it. Then he started with his followers The devil then advanced and puffed him up with pride. He looked down the ordinary men in the street. At that moment, a poor man with tattered rags on his body advanced to the emperor and saluted him, but the latter did not respond to his salutation out of extreme hatred. Then the poor man advanced forward and caught hold of the reins of his horse whereupon the emperor ordered him to give up the reign saying: You have done a most heinous act. The poor man said : I have some urgent matter with you. The emperor said : Be patient, I am getting down. The man said : That won't be He began to pullout the reign of the horse with greater force. The emperor said : Say what you have got to say. The man said : That is a secret talk. The emperor drew his ears close to him and the man said : I am the angel of death. At this, the colour of the emperor changed and his tongue stopped. He said : Give me a little time so that I may go to my family and arrange things. The angel of death said: That can't be He then drew out the life of the emperor and he fell down dead on the ground.
392 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
The angel of death advanced farther and met with a believer whom he greeted. The believer returned his greeting. He said : I have got something to tell you in secret. The believer consented to hear. At this the angel of death said : I am the angel of death. The believer said : Welcome to you. I am waiting for you for long. By God, there is nothing dearer to me than my meeting with you. The angel of death said : Fulfill your needs. The believer said There is nothing dearer to me at this moment than my meeting with the Lord. The angel said : Choose in what way I can take your life. The believer said: Let me pray after ablution and take my life while I am in prostration. The angel of death took his life in that condition.,

It is narrated that a man acquired vast wealth. He constructed many buildings and adorned them with iron gates. There were innumerable slaves and slave girls therein. Then he prepared a grand feast and brought all his beautiful wives. Then he ascended the throne and began to shake his legs placing one of his legs upon another in pride. Then he said : 0 self, enjoy it for long long years. Hardly had he finished this talk's a poor man with tattered rags on him came to the door and began to knock it. The guard at once rushed to the door and enquired of his whereabouts. He said : Take your master to me, The guard said Will our master come down to a man like you? He began to knock the door with a greater force. The guard rushed on him and he said: I am the angel of death. Go and inform him to come to me. When he came, he took his life.

Hazrat Wahab-bin-Monabbah said: The angel of death took the life of a great tyrant and ascended the heaven. The angel asked him: 0 angel of death have you ever felt kindness in your. mind in taking the life of a man? He said : Yes once I felt kindness when a pregnant woman was alone in a dense jungle. She gave birth to a son there and I was ordered to take her life at that very moment. I felt kindness for her helplessness and for the condition of her just born child. The angel said : You have taken the life of the mother of a mighty emperor who was that helpless child. He said: All praise is for God who does what He wishes.

The great saint Ata-bin-Yasin said: The angel of death gets a list of persons on the 15th night of Shaban each year and he is ordered to take the lives of those persons in the list in that year.
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 393
Hazrat Khaisamah narrated that the angel of death came to the Darbar of Sulaiman and was staring at one of his courtiers for long. When he went away the courtier asked Solaiman : Who is that man who stared at me? He said that he was the angel of death. The courtier said : I think he has come to take my life. Please save me from him. Solaiman ordered the air to throw him to India. The air carried out his order. The angel of death came to Solaiman again who said: You stared for long at one of my courtiers. The angel of death said : Yes, I have been ordered to take his life in some place in India but I have seen him here. I thought : How can I take his life in India when he has been here at the moment. More wonderful it is that I found him at the appointed time in the fixed place in India and then I took his life
there.
394 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
SECTION IV
THE DEATH OF THE PROPHET AND
THE FOUR CALIPHS
Know, 0 readers, that there is an excellent example in the life of the Holy Prophet to be followed by every man of every' profession. He was the dearest friend of God, His beloved, His chosen Prophet and messenger. Look to him Has he been given a moment's time than what was fixed for him to live longer? He suffered the pangs of death and that was disclosed on his face, his colour was changed and there was profuse perspiration on his face. Those who were present there began to weep at the sight of his pangs of death. Inspite of his messengership he could not annual what was decreased for him. This is the condition of one who will rise first out of the graves on the resurrection day, one who was the greatest of the Prophets, saints and the leaders of mankind.
Hazrat Ibn Masud said: We entered the room of Ayesha to meet the Holy Prophet at the time of his death. He stared at us and began to shed tears and said : Welcome to you, may God grant you long life. May He give you refuge. May he help you. I give you may last instructions to fear God. I give you my last advice as a warner of God. Don't show pride over the dwellers of towns and cities and over God. Death is near. I shall have to return to God, to Sidratul Montaha (farthest lotetree), to my resting place Paradise, to the full Fountain. Take my words to your people and to those people who enter your religion after me. Salman and God's mercy on my behalf.
It has been reported that the Prophet asked Gebrail : Who will remain after me for my people? God revealed to Gebrail Give good news to my friend that I will not give punishment to his people. Give him further good news that on the Resurrection Day he will rise first from the grave and he will be your leader. Paradise will be unlawful for the followers of other peoples till his people do not enter it. He said: Then my eyes became cool.
Hazrat Ayesha said that the Messenger of God said to them during his illness : Wash me with seven cups from seven water-skins. We did that. He became cool as a result and prayed with the people and prayed for the martyrs of Uhud. He gave instructions regarding the Ansars and said : 0 refugees, your
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 395
number is increasing, but the number of Ansars will not increase and it will remain what is is today The Ansars are my own people and I took refuge with them. Honour their religious people and forgive their faults. Thereafter he said : One servant was asked to choose either of the two things : This world or what is near God. He chose what is near God. At this Hazrat Abu Bakr began to weep as he applied it to the case of the Prophet. The Prophet said 0 Abu Bakr, close these doors (pathways) towards the mosque for your people, but shut not the door of Abu Bakr as I know not of any companion better than Abu Bakr.
Hazrat Ayesha said : The Prophet expired leaning against the place between any breast and throat. God united my saliva and his at the time of his death. My brother Abdur Rahaman entered my room with a tooth pick. He looked at it and I understood that he would be pleased to get it. I told him: Shall I take the tooth- pick for you? He hinted with his head and I took it from him and I got it entered into his mouth. When it seemed hard to him, I said to him: I am making it soft for you. When he hinted it with his head, I made it soft for him. There was a water pot in his front. He entered therein his hand and said : There is no deity but God, there are surely death pangs. There is no deity but God, there are surely death pangs. Then he put his hand in its right place and said : To the Highest Companion.
The father of Sayeed reported : When the Ansars found the Prophet a little better, they informed the Prophet of the conditions of their minds, so also Fazal and Ali. The Prophet stretched out his hands and said : Hold my hands. They held them and he said : What are you talking about ? They said : We fear your death. The wives and their husbands began to raise cries at his condition. The Prophet leaned against the shoulders of Hazrat Fazal and Ali and came to the mosque. His head was tied up with a piece of cloth. He stepped very slowly and sat upon the pulpit and the people advanced towards him. He prayed to God and said : I heard that you are fearing my death. It seems that you do not love death. Do you deny the death of your Prophet? Did I not tell you about my death? Did I not inform you about your death also? Did Prophets before me live forever? Look, I shall meet with my Lord and you will also meet with Him.
I give you instruction to treat well with the first refugees. God says: By oath of time, people are surely in loss except those
396 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
who believe and do good. Everything is done according to the order of God. When there is delay in any affair, let it not encourage you to hasten it, as God does not hasten at the hastiness of anybody. He who cheats God will be cheated by Him. Will you create disorder in the world? Will you cut off the ties of your relationship?
I am leaving instructions to you that you shall accord good treatment to the Ansars as they gave you refuge and they gave refuge to Iman before you. Treat them well. Did they not make you cosharers in crops? Did they not give you shelter in their houses? Did they not put your needs above their needs at the time of your needs? Behold, if anybody is given power over two persons, he shall do good to them and forgive their faults. Behold, 'do not give superiority to yourselves over them. Behold, I am watching over you and you will meet me. Behold, the Fountain which has been promised to you is my fountain. That is wider than the distance between Basra in Syria and Sana'a in Yemen. The fountain of Kauser flows therein, Its water is whiter than milk, softer than butter and sweeter than honey. He who drinks therefrom will never get thirsty. Its stones are of emeralds and jewels and its foundation is of camphor. He who will be deprived of it tomorrow will be deprived of all good. Behold, he who loves to live with me there on the Resurrection Day should control his tongue except what is necessary.
Hazrat Abbas said : 0 Prophet of God, leave instructions about the Quraish. He said : I leave instructions about the Quraish in this affair. The people will follow the Quraish. The virtuous will follow their virtuous and the sinners will follow their sinners. 0 Quraish, deal good with the people. 0 people, sin changes fortune and bad conduct corrupts character. When the people are good, their leaders are also good. God says : Thus do I place some oppressors over others on account of what they did.
Hazrat Ibn Masud reported that the Prophet had told Abu Bakr, 0 Abu Bakr. He said : 0 Messenger of God, death is near. He said : Death is imminent and that is true. Hazrat Abu Bakr said: 0 Prophet of God, this death isa kind welcome to the mercy that is with God. He said : To God, to the farthest lote tree, to the Paradise of Ma'wa the highest Paradise, to the full fountain, to the Highest Friend and to eternal happiness.
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 397
He said, 0 Prophet of God, who will wash you? He said: The close relations of my family and the more close of them. He said With what coffin will you be shrouded? He said : With this garment of mine which I am wearing, with the gown of Yemen and with the white cloth of Egypt. He asked : how shall we pray your Janaza? We then wept and he also wept. Then he said : Stop, may God forgive you and may He grant you good from your Prophet. When you will wash me fully and clothe me with coffin and place me on my bier in my room which will be the top portion of my grave, then go away for sometime from me, because the first who will recite Darud on me, will be the Almighty and His angels. Then He will order the angels to pray for me. He who will come first to pray Janaza on me among the creation of God will be Gebrail, then Michael, then Israfil and then the angel of death with his numerous hordes and then all the angels. Then you will pray in batches. Don'ts inflict trouble on me by raising wailings and cries. One of you will be Imam, then the near ones of my family and then the boys will stand. He asked: Who will put you into your grave? He said : The nearest ones of my family with many angels whom you will not see but who will see you. Now rise and go away from me. Convey my message to the people after me on my behalf.

Abdullah-bin-Jama'a said : On the first Rabiul Awal, Bilal sought permission as to who will lead prayer. He said to him Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer for the people. I came out and saw nobody except Omar. I said : 0 Omar, rise up and lead the prayer. Then Omar rose up and as soon as he uttered Takbir, the Prophet asked : Where is Abu Bakr? God and the Muslims will not agree. He said thrice : Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer. Hazrat Ayesha said : 0 Messenger of God, Abu Bakr is softhearted. When he will stand in your place, his tears will not stop. The Prophet said : You are the companion of Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer. After Omar had prayed, Abu Bakr led the prayer.

Then Hazrat Omar told Abdullah-bin-Jama'a: Woe to you! What treatment have you meted out to me? By God, I thought that the Messenger of God ordered you to ask me to lead the prayer. Abdullah said : I found nobody better than you for this affair. Hazrat Ayesha said : The reason why I raised objection on behalf of Abu Bakr is that he is a man who raised objection on
398 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV

behalf of Abu Bakr is that he is a man who renunciated the world and there is a great upheaval and turmoil in administration but he is safe whom God saves. I feared that during the life time of the Prophet the masses won't like that somebody should lead the prayer except what God wills otherwise. If Abu Bakr would lead the prayer, they would deny him and rise up against him and speak ill of him. If God wills, He will save him in this world and in the affairs of religion.
Hazrat Ayesha said: On the first part of the day of his death, he looked somewhat better and the people left him, returned to their respective houses and joined in their personal affairs. The Prophet then remained alone with his wives. We remained then in hope and joy. Thereafter the Prophet said: Leave me. An angel seeks to meet me. Everybody went out of the house except I. His head reclined on my lap. He sat straight and I also went to a corner of the house. The angel talked with him secretly for a pretty long time. Then the Prophet called me and placed his head again on my lap. He said to his wives : Enter the house. I said : He is not perhaps Gebrail. The Prophet said : 0 Ayesha, he is the angel of death. He came to me and said : God sent me to you and advised me not to come to you without your permission. If you don't permit me, I will return; and if you give me permission, I will enter. God ordered me not to take your life until you give me permission. Now what is your permission? I said : Tarry and little, let Gebrail come in. This is the time of coming of Gebrail.
Hazrat Ayesha said: Thereafter there appeared to us such an affair which was beyond our control. It seemed that we raise hue and cry and strike our hands and feet. The people of Ahli-Bait were all struck with awe and were silent. Nobody saw such an affair before. Ayesha said : Then Gebrail descended and saluted the Prophet. I felt his advent. The people of the house went out. He said : The Almighty God tenders His Salam to you and enquires your health although He knows it. He has intended to make your honour and prestige perfect and wishes to establish it among your followers. The Prophet said : I am in anxiety. He ..said: Give good news as God intends to take you to the place
which He has prepared for you.
The Prophet said: The angel of death seeks my permission. Gebrail said : 0 Muhammad, surely your Lord is anxious to meet with you. By God, the angel of God never sought permission of
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 399
anybody to take his life and will never seek such permission. God will protect your honour and he is eager to meet you. The Prophet said : Let the angel of death come and go away from here till he comes. Then the Prophet called his wives and said to his daughter Fatima : Come close to me. Fatima went near him and he whispered something in her ear. She raised her head and shed tears and could not talk further. Then he said : Come close to me. Hazrat Fatima came close to him and he whispered again something to her. Then she raised her head and began to smile.
We wondered at her weeping and smiling and asked her the reason. Fatima said : He has informed me that he will expire. I began to weep at this. Then he said : I pray to God that you will be the first who will meet me and will be with me. I smiled at this. When Hazrat Fatima took her two sons close to the Prophet, he showed affection and fondness for them.
Then the angle of death came and saluted the Prophet and sought permission of the Prophet to take this life to which he responded and gave permission. The angel of death said to him: 0 Muhammad, what do you say to me? The Prophet said: Yes, take me to my Lord. He said: Yes, your Lord is eager to-day to meet you. Your Lord never hesitated in any other case than in your case. He never prohibited me to take the life of anybody without his permission, except in your case. Your death is in your front. Then he went out.
Hazrat Ayesha said: The Gebrail came and said : 0 Messenger of God, salam to you. This is my last descent in the earth. Revelation came to an end and the earth came near. I have got no need of this earth except for you I will stay in my own place. She said : I went close to the Prophet and placed his head upon my bosom. He fainted and fainted and perspiration came out profusely on his forehead. I began to remove the perspiration the fragrance of which I smelt. When he came round, I said to him May my parents, my life and my family be dedicated to you, why do you perspire so much? The Prophet said: 0 Ayesha, the life of a believer goes out with excessive perspiration and the life of a non-believer goes out of the two sides like that of an ass. At this time, we hastened to run and send for the members of our families. The first man who came to us was my brother. I sent him for my father. Before anybody could come, the Prophet breathed his last.
400 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
When he fainted, he recited : To the Blessed Companionship on High. When he talked, he said : Prayer, prayer, you will never be routed if you continue to pray. He left instruction for prayer upto the last moment of his life.
Hazrat Ayesha said: The Holy Prophet expired between one and two prahars of the day. When he died, there were wails and be wailings everywhere. He was covered by the angels with my cloth. Some did not believe his death, some lost senses and some were dumb-foundered. Hazrat Omar said that the Prophet had not died. He said : 0 people, hold your tongue about your saying that the Prophet has died as he has not expired. By God, let me not hear that the Prophet has died, otherwise I would cut off his head by this sword. Hazrat Ali was seated within the house Hazrat Osman did not talk with anybody. People led him here and there. Hazrat Abbas said : By God, the Apostle of Allah has tasted death. God said : Certainly You will die and they will also die. Thereafter you will be quarelling before your Lord on the day of Resurrection.
Hazrat Abu Bakr received his death news while he was away to Banu Hares bin Khazraj. He hurriedly came and went straight to the dead body of the Prophet and began to kiss his cheeks and say : 0 Messenger of God, may my parents be dedicated to you God will not give you the taste of death twice. By God, the Messenger God has died. Then he came out and addressed the people : 0 people, he who worships Muhammad should know that he has expired and he who worships the Lord of Muhammad should know that He is ever living and has got no death. God says : Muhammad is nothing but an apostle. Before him there passed many apostles. If he then dies or is killed, will you turn on your backs? On hearing this verse of Quran, the people were in such a condition as they did never hear of this verse before.
Hazrat Ibn Omar reported that when Hazrat Abu Bakr entered the room of the Prophet, he began to recite Darud and Hamd and the inhabitants of the house raised such a hue and cry that those who were praying outside heard it. When ever he said something, the noise further increased. Some one stood by the door and on his advice the noise stopped. He said loudly : 0 Ahli Bait, salam to you all. Everybody will die and everybody has got an agent in the affairs of God, every desire has got an object of hope and every fear has got salvation. Rely on God. On hearing
this, the dwellers of the hut could not understand whose voice it was. They then stopped crying and weeping. Soon they came within the hut and began to weep and cry again. This time an unknown voice said : 0 Ahli-Bait, remember God and glorify Him under all circumstances, you will then become sincere worshipers. There is consolation of God in each danger and there is agent in every desired object. Remember God within your mind. Obey His commands and put them in execution. Hazrat Abu Bakr said : They are Khizir and Isha'a. They were present at the Janaza of the Prophet.
Hazrat Kaka-bin-Amr recorded the full address of Abu Bakr.
He said : Abu Bakr addressed the people who began to shed tears at his address. After praising God, he said : I bear witness that
there is no deity but God who is single. He has shown His unity as truth; He has helped His servant and he has routed His allied enemies. All praise is due to God. He is one. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger and that he is the last of the apostles. I bear witness that the Quran remains as it was revealed, the religion is at it, came, Hadis is as it was spoken. God is open truth 0 God, Muhammad is Thy servant and messenger, Thy Prophet, Thy friend, Thy hope, Thy chosen servant. Shower blessings on him such blessings which Thou has not sent to anybody among Thy creatures. 0 God give Thy blessings, Thy pardon, Thy mercy, to the last of Thy messengers and the leader of Thy religious peoples and the guide to all good. 0 God, bring his honour near honour his place and take him to the abode of praise. The sages of past and present ages will envy him. Give us the benefit of his praised abode, make him our representative in this world and the world next. Give him honour and Paradise and make him our means. Send blessings on Muhammad and his family and send blessings on Abraham and his family. Surely Thou art praised and glorified.
0 people, he who worships Muhammad shall know that Muhammad is dead. He who worships God, shall know that God is ever-living and has got no death. God has chosen for His Prophet for what is near Him and has not chosen for him what is near you. He has taken his life to give him reward. He has left to you His Book and his Sunnah. He who holds fast to these things is a true believer and he who differentiates between these two things does not believe. 0 believers, stand on justice. May not the
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES
401
402 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
devil misguide you after the death of your Prophet and turn you from your religion. You can baffle his efforts if you meet with him with good deeds. Don't look at him or else he will rule over you and will throw you into danger.
Ibn Abbas said: When Abu Bakr finished his address, he said 0 Omar, you informed me that you are saying that the messenger of God has not expired, Don't you see that the Prophet said such and such on such and such a day? God said in His book : You will die.and they will also die. He said : By God, it seemed to me that I never heard before about the revelation of this verse in the Holy Book. The book remains as it was revealed. Hadis remains as it was uttered. God is ever living and has got no death. We are for God and to God is our return. Blessings on His Prophet and we hope to see him near God. Thereafter he sat near Hazrat Abu Bakr.
Hazrat Ayesha said: When the people assembled for the washing of the body of the Prophet, they said : By God, we don't know how to wash the Prophet. Shall we uncover his wearing cloth as we do in other cases or shall we wash him within his wearing cloth? Ayesha said that God had sent on them slumber and there was nobody among them who did not place his head over his bosom and sleep. Then a man (whom no-body knows who he was) said : Wash him within his wearing cloth. Then they got up from slumber and did so and the Prophet was washed within his wearing apparel. After this they clothed him with coffin cloth. Hazrat Ali said: We washed to take off his wearing apparel when it was proclaimed to us : Don't take off the cloth of the Prophet. We washed him and turned him from one side to another. His side automatically turned to another side without our efforts. Thus we finished his washing.
This is in short the story of his death. There was no cloth of his which was not buried with him. Hazrat Abu jafar said : The bed sheet of the Prophet was spread in the grave and on it was placed the body of the Prophet. There is a great lesson and an ideal in the death of the Holy Prophet.
THE DEATH OF HAZRAT ABU BAKR
When the death of Hazrat Abu Bakr approached, Hazrat Ayesha came to him and recited the following poem.
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 403
By my life, this life is nothing but a night-dream Power of wealth is meaningless when death comes.
He said covering his faces : Don't utter this, rather say : Death pangs have truly come from which you have been warned (Quran). Look to my two cloths. Cleanse them and coffin me therewith, as there is more need for new cloth for those who are alive than those who are dead. The people came to him and said Shall we not call for you a physician? He said : My Physician looked to me and said: I do what I will (Quran).
Hazrat Salman Farsi came to see him and said: Give us advice. He said : God will open for you the treasures of the world. Take from these only what is necessary for you, Know that he who prays Fajr remains in the security of God, Don't think His security little. If you do it, you will be turned down into Hell.
When the illness of Hazrat Abu Bakr became serious and the people expressed wish for the nomination of his successor, he nominated Hazrat Omar for the Caliphate. The people-said to him : You have nominated for us a very stern and harsh man. What answer will you give to your Lord? He said: I will say that I nominated for the people the best qualified man available. When Omar was sent for, he came and Hazrat Abu Bakr said to him : I give you one wasiat. Know that God, does not accept your day duties to God at night and HeddoEs not accept your night duties to Him at day. He does not6cc!p optionaldtfties until you perform your obligatory duties. The balancee o t ose will be heavy on the Resurrection Day who will follow truth. The duty of the Balance is that it will be heavy if truth is placed in it. The balance of those will be light on the Resurrection Day who follow untruth. The duties of the Balance is that it will be light if untruth is placed in it. God has bestowed the dwellers of Paradise with good works and pardoned their sins. God narrated the verses of mercy and punishment so that a believer renunciates the world and does not lead himself towards destructions and does not hope for anything from God except truth. If you keep my wasiat, you will love no other thing except death which must come to you. If you do not fulfill my wasiat, nothing will become hateful to you than death. Death must come to you and you cannot baffle it.
Sayeed-bin-Mosayyeb said: When there came the death of Hazrat Abu Bakr, the companions came to him and said : 0
404 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
representative of the Prophet, give us advice as we see your death near. He said : He who expires saying all these, God places his life in an open space. The companions asked : What is open space? He said : It is an open space before the Throne wherein there are gardens, rivers and trees. One hundred mercy surrounds it every day. He who says this, God places his soul in that place : 0 God, thou hast created men first although you had no need of them. Then Thou divided the people into two factions, one faction for Paradise and another faction for Hell. Make me an inmate of Paradise and don't make me one of Hell, 0 God, Thou hast created the creation into different classes before they were created. Thou hast created them into classes of fortune and misfortune, guidance and misguidance. Don't make me unfortunate with sin.
0 God, Thou knowest before Thou created a man what he will acquire. There is no defect in what Thou knowest. Make me one of those Thou keepest engaged in Thy service. 0 God, nobody wills anything unless Thou wealth. I wish that which will take me to Tlry neighbourhood. 0 God, Thou hast given to the people the powers of their movements and nothing moves without Thy permission. Place me in fear for Thee. 0 God, Thou hast created good and bad and created people for good and bad. Make me one of good. 0 God, Thou hast created Paradise and Hell and created inmates for them. Make me an inmate of Thy Paradise: 0, God, Thou willeth to make a part of men misguided and maketh their breast narrow. Make my breast spacious for faith and make it endowed in any heart. 0 God Thou manageth everything and taketh it unto Thee. 0 God, every man passes morning and evening hoping to get that thing. Thou art my object, of hope. There is no strength and might but through Thee. He said that these instructions are in the Book of God.
THE DEATH OF HAZRAT OMAR
Hazrat Amr bin-Maimun said: I was standing in the morning in the place where Hazrat Omar was stabbed with knife. Abdullah bin Abbas was standing near me and Hazrat Omar passed between two rows, and whenever he saw any opening, he said : Straighten your rows. He used to do I:ke that till the rows were adjusted. Then he recited Takbir advancing forward. On the day of occurrence, when he recited Takbir I heard that he said : A dog has killed me. Abu Lulu stabbed him there with a two edged
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 405
dagger. After stabbing, he was fleeing with his dagger. He stabbed by whomsoever he passed and thus he stabbed ten persons in the course of his fleeing. Out of them seven or nine persons expired. When he was passing by another Muslim, he threw a thick wrapper over his body. Seeing that he was caught, he committed suicide. Hazrat Omar caught hold of Abdur Rahaman bin Auf and pushed him in front to be Imam in the prayer. The people near me in the first row saw what I saw. Those who were outside it, did not know what happened, They however heard the voice of Hazrat Omar and wondered.
Abdur Rahaman made short the prayer. After the prayer, Hazrat Omar said : 0 Ibn Abbas, look at the person who stabbed me. He made a round and said that he was the slave of Mugirah bin Shu'ba. Hazrat Omar said : May God destroy him. He ordered that mercy might be shown to him. Then he said : All prise is due to God who has not done my murder at the hand of a Muslim. You and your father want that more people of the unbelievers should be allowed to come to Medina. There were many such slaves with Hazrat Abbas. Ibn Abbas said : If you wish, I will kill them all and if you wish otherwise, I will do with them otherwise. He said : Don't kill them if they recite Kalema like you and pray towards your Qibla.
Then he was taken to his house. We also went with him. Some drink was brought to him but it went out of his stomach. Then he was given milk which also went out of his stomach. Then the people understood that he won't survive. A young man said to him : 0 Commander of the Faithful, take good news from God, you were a close associate of the Prophet and accepted Islam at the early period. Then you got power of administration and did justice. When the young man was going, Hazrat Omar said : Lift your wearing apparel a little above. It is better for your cloth and excites fear of God. Then he said to his son Abdullah : 0 Abdullah, estimate my debts. On estimation, it was found to be 86,000 Dirhams.
Hazrat Omar said : Clear it if the properties of the family of Omar are sufficient for it, or else demand it from the children of Adi-bin Ka'ab. If their properties are not sufficient, take it from the Quraish and clear the debts on my behalf. Tell Hazrat Ayesha : Omar tenders you salam. Don't say Amirul Momenin (Commander of the Faithful). I am no longer their Commander
406 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
from to-day Tell her that Omar wants to stay with his -two friends. Hazrat Ayesha said : I wished it for myself, but I want to fulfill his need today more than that of myself. When Abdullah came to Omar, he said : Raise me up. A man raised him up and he said to his son : What news? He said : She gave permission what you wanted. Omar said : All praise is due to God. Nothing is more needful than it. When I die, take me there, then after saluting tell her that Omar is seeking permission. If she gives me permission, place me in this grave. If she does not give me permission, bury me in the graveyard of the Muslims.

Hafsa, daughter of Omar and widow of the Prophet, came there and wept for an hour. The people sought permission to see him and they entered and said : 0 Commander of the Faithful, advise us and nominate your successor. Hazrat Omar said I refer this matter to a committee consisting of such persons on whom The Prophet was pleased at the time of his death. The Committee will consist of Hazrat Ali, Osman Jubair, Talha, Sa'd and Abdur Rahaman. Abdullah, my son, will be present along with them but he will have nothing to do with the Caliphate. He gave consolation to his son saying: If Sa'ad gets nomination, it is better or else whoever is elected as Caliph by the Committee, seek assistance from him. I advise one who is elected Caliph after me-(1) He will keep dignity of the first refugees and preserve their honour;: (2) He will seek good of the Ansars as they gave refuge to them and their faith (3) He will accept their good deeds and forgive their faults. (4) He will seek good of the citizens as they preserved Islam, and attack those enemies who hoard wealth. (5) He will treat well with all the inhabitants of Arabia as they are the original dwellers of Arabia and the basis of Islam. He shall realise the excess wealth from the rich and distribute it to the poor. (6) He will fulfill the trust of God and His Prophet and fulfill the rights given by them to the Zimmis, protect them fight for their preservation, and impose on them no greater burden than they can bear. Ibn Omar said: When Omar died, we carried him on foot and said to Ayesha that Omar- bin-Khattab is seeking your permission. Hazrat Ayesha said : Bury him here and let him stay here with his two friends. The Prophet said Gebrail told me that Islam would weep after the death of Omar.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas said : When Hazrat Omar was placed on the bier, the people stood surrounding him and were praying for
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 407
him. I was one of them. Nobody saw me except one man. He touched my shoulder and I found him to be Ali-b-Talib. He began to pray for Omar and said : You have left no such successor of yours as I can take him dearer than you. By God I think God will place you along with your two friends. I often heard the Prophet say : I, Abu Bakr and Omar went there. I, Abu Bakr and Omar went out. I, Abu Bakr and Omar entered. I surely believe God will keep you in association with your two friends.
THE DEATH OF HAZRAT OSMAN
The story of Hazrat Osman's murder is well-known. Hazrat Abdullah bin Salam said : I came to offer Salam to my brother Osman when he was surrounded by the rebels. He said to me : 0 my brother, welcome to you. I dreamt the Prophet last night as saying: 0 Osman, they have surrounded and besieged you. I said Yes. He said : They prevented you from taking water, I said : Yes. He gave me a dole of water and I drank it to my heart's content, as a result my breast and shoulder became cool. He said to me : If you wish I will help you against them. If you wish, you will break your fast near me. I told him to break fast near him. On that day he was killed. He said at the time of his murder: 0 God, keep the people of Muhammad united. He recited it thrice.
Mohammad said : I was one of the assembled crowd below when Hazrat Osman was addressing them. He said : Send the two men to me who brought you here. They were sent and they came like camels or asses. Hazrat Osman said to the crowd : I am asking you in the name of God and Islam : Do you not know that the mosque of Medina was insufficient to accommodate those who pray. The Prophet then said : Who will purchase the garden of so and so and make spacious the lawn of the mosque and get a garden better than that in Paradise? I purchased with my principal money. Today you are preventing me from praying two rakats of prayer therein. The people said : 0 God, that is true, Hazrat Osman said : I ask you in the name of God and Islam : Don't you know that the Prophet was standing in a valley and with him there were Abu Bakr, Omar and myself. Then the valley began to tremble and even began to throw stones. The Prophet stroke it with his feet and said : 0 valley, be steady, there are upon you the Prophef, the Siddiq, and the martyr. They said : 0 God, that is true. He said : God is great, they testified me. By the Lord of Kaba, I am a martyr.
408 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
An old man said that Hazrat Osman was given a strike by sword, and blood was them oozing out flowing upon his beard. He said : There is no deity but Thou. Thou art glorified and I am one of the oppressors. 0 God. I seek refuge to Thee against them and seek assistance from Thee in all my affairs. I pray to Thee to have patience in the danger Thou hast cast upon me.
THE DEATH OF HAZRAT ALI
Asbag Hanzali said : Ibn Tiah came to Ali and informed him of the morning prayer as he was then in his bed. He came to him again and found him in bed. When he came for the third time, Hazrat Ali walked and said
Be prepared for death, death is sure for you. Fear not death when it takes life.
When he reached the little door of the mosque, he was stabbed by Ibn Maljam Omme Kulsum, daughter of Ali, came out and said : What has happened to Fajr prayer, my husband Ameerul Momenin was murdered at Fajr prayer, my father Hazrat Ali has been murdered at Fajr prayer. A Quraishite old man said : When Ibn Maljam stabbed Hazrat Ali, he said : By the Lord of Ka'ba, my purpose has been fulfilled. He did not hold further useless talk and at death bed he began to utter: There is no deity but God
CONDITIONS IN GRAVE
It is reported by Zuhhak that a man asked : 0 Prophet of God, who is the person who has renunciated the world most? He said He is one who does not forget the condition in the grave and destruction, who gives up the unnecessary fineries of the world, who prefers the everlasting happiness rather than the short lived happiness, who does not count tomorrow as included in his life and who counts himself as one of the inmates of the grave. Hazrat Ali was once asked; What is your condition? Why are you living in the neighbourhood of graves? He said : I have found those as good neighbours whose tongues are silent and who remembered the hereafter.
The Holy Prophet said: The grave is more fearful than what I glanced my look on. Hazrat Omar said : Once we came out with the Prophet to the graveyard. He sat by one grave and I was close to him. He began to weep and at last his companions also began
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 409
to weep. He asked us: Why do you weep? We said : We weep as you weep. The Prophet said : This grave is of my mother Anina, daughter of Wahab. I asked permission of my Lord to visit her grave and he gave me permission. Again I asked forgiveness for her but He rejected it. The affection of a son towards his mother has arisen in me.
Whenever Hazrat Osman waited by the side of a grave, he wept so much that his beard became wet. He once said : Why don't you weep if Paradise and Hell are described to you but why do you weep if you stand by the side of a grave? He said: I heard the Prophet say : The grave is the first stage out of the stages of the next world. If one gets release from it, what is next to it is more easy than it. If he does not get release from it, what comes next is more difficult than it.
It has been narrated that Hazrat Amrbin-A's got down and prayed two rakats by the side of a graveyard. He was said : You have never done so before. He said : I can remember what passed between the inmates of the graves and myself. I intend to be near God with the help of these two things.
The saint Muzahed said: What the grave will first say to the son of Adam is this : I am the dwelling house of insects and worms. I am the house of solitude, an unknown house, a house full of darkness. I have prepared this house for you. What are the things which you have prepared for me?
The companion Abu Zarr said: shall I not inform you of the dreadful day, the day wherein I will be placed in the grave? Abu Darda'a sat by the side of the graveyard. When asked its reason he said : I sit by such a people who remind me of my return. When I stand up, they don't envy me.
Hazrat Ja'far bin Mohammad used to pass his night in a grave and say : 0 inmates of graves, what is the matter with me that whenever I call you, you don't respond to me? Then he said : By God, there is obstruction in my question and their answer and let me be like them. Then he prayed upto morning.
Caliph Omar-bin-Abdul Aziz said to one of his courtiers : 0 brother, I am passing sleepless nights thinking the graves and their inmates. If you had seen an inmate of the grave after three days, you would have hated to go to him inspite of your long love
01
410 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
and association with him and you would have seen the grave in such a condition that it is filled up with scorpions, insects and worms eating and biting him 'and the coffin cloth with sweet scents is filled up with stenchy smells. Then he raised such a loud voice that he fell down senseless.
WHAT IS DEATH?
Different opinions about death. Know, readers, that different people hold different opinions about death. Some say that death destroys everything and that there is no final destruction of the world and no Resurrection and that the death of man is better than that of birds and beasts, plants and trees. This is the opinion of the unbelieves. Another group of men think that death destroys. man and from grave to resurrection there will be no reward and punishment. Another group of men hold the opinion that human soul does not die and that punishment and reward will be awarded on soul and not on body, and that there will be no physical resurrection on the Resurrection Day. These are all void opinions and far from truth.
MEANING OF DEATH: The verses of the Quran and Hadis and knowledge gained by experience show that death means change of condition, that when soul is separated from body, it receives reward and punishment and that the separation of soul from body means loss of power of soul over body. The limbs of the body are instruments of soul. It uses them in its works. It catches by hands, hears by ears, sees by.eyes and acquire knowledge of all things. Soul without these things can know'the relation of everything. For this reason soul suffers sorrows and pangs and enjoys happiness. There is no connection of these sorrows and happiness with the body. The body stripped of powers of works by death is like the limbs which become paralysed owing to rheumatism or serious illness. Soul cannot exercise influence on them. Knowledge and wisdom remain with soul even after death. Death means that all the limbs of the body become disobedient to soul. Each limb is an instrument of soul from which it takes works. By soul I mean that thing which enjoys happiness and feels sorrow. By death, sense of happiness and sorrows remains on soul. By man, we mean his soul which retains the sense,of happiness and sorrow. It does not die and will not die. Since its creation, it is eternal although it is created. Death means separation of body from soul and the body ceasing
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 411
to be an instrument of soul, as the paralysis of a limb means its ceasing to be an instrument of the body. Death means paralysis of all bodily limbs but the main thing of a man that is soul, remains.
CAUSES OF CHANGE OF CONDITION AT DEATH

There are two causes for this change of conditions. (1) The first cause is that all his limbs, ears, nose, eyes, tongue etc. are snatched away from him at death, and that he is snatched away from all his relatives and friends, and from all his wealth Thus there are pangs of separation of dear things of this world and he is shifted to another world where he feels pangs of separation in acute form. Thus there is change of conditions at death.

(2)'The second cause is that the real nature of things is disclosed to him after death which was kept hidden from him in his life time as what is not disclosed to a sleeping man is disclosed to one who is awake. Men are in sleep now and they rise up after death from sleep. Then the destroying thing sin and the benefiting thing virtue appear before him. Those are recorded in the Book of deeds which are kept secret in his soul. His engagement in world pursuits kept him away from its enquiry. When this engagement is cut off by death, all his deeds are disclosed to him. Acutely grieved at his sins, he even prefers to throw himself into fire. He may be said at this stage : Your soul is sufficient for account of yourself. That becomes vivid at the time of separation of soul and before burial. The pang of separation keeps him busy at that time but what he has acquired of virtues necessary to take him to the desired abode gives him happiness at that time. Such a man does not want but what is actually necessary for him in this world. Thus he relieves himself from the pangs of separation before his death. After he is buried, his body is returned to his soul, so that he may get the taste of punishment and happiness. Some time he is forgiven of his sins.

MEANING OF LIFE: In order to understand life, soul and its attributes must be known. The Prophet did not give permission to discuss about soul except this that the soul comes from the command of God. Permission has however been given for discussion how the human soul will face after death. From this it is known that death does not mean that soul will die with body. There are proofs that it will not die. Gods says : Don't consider
412 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
those who are killed in God's way as dead, rather they are alive near their Lord and are given provision.
When some leaders of the Quraish were killed at Badar, the Prophet addressed them thus. 0 so and so, 0 so and so, I have found true what my Lord promised me. Have you found true what your Lord promised you? He was said : 0 Prophet of God, do you address the dead persons? He said : By Him who holds my life, they are surely hearing these words, but they cannot reply. This is the proof of Shariat about the immortality of soul.
The Prophet said: Grave is a hole of Hell or a garden of Paradise. This is the proof of Shariat that death means change of condition and entry of the dead man to fortune or misfortune. At the time of death, it comes suddenly without delay, but there are some punishments which come late.
The Prophet said: Death is a Qiyamat or doomsday. He who dies meets with his Qiyamat. The Prophet said : When some one of you dies, his place is shown to him morning and evening. If he is a dweller of Paradise, he is included in the dwellers of Paradise. If he is fit for Hell, he is said : This is your place till you are Resurrected on the Resurrection Day. If one sees two places, punishment and happiness are not concealed from him. Hazrat Ali said : It is prohibited for a man to go out of this world till he knows his place either in Hell or in Paradise. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet had said : He who dies in journey, dies a martyr. The punishment of his grave is forgiven and his provision comes morning and evening from paradise.
There is complete joy and happiness for a martyr-who is killed for the way and cause of God, as he has cut off all connections of the world and advanced for Jehad to seek the pleasure of God and being eager to meet Him. God says: 'What they desire will get'. There is description of all sorts of happiness in this verse.
The Prophet said to Jaber : 0 Jaber, shall I not give you a good news? He said : Yes. He said : God gives you good news. He says that He kept alive your father and keeps him seated before Him and says : 0 My servant, seek what you desire, I shall give it to you. He said : 0 my Lord. I could not serve you due to you. I hope that you should return me again in the world that I may fight a long with your Prophet and again be a martyr for your pleasure. God said to him: It is my law that you cannot return there again.
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 413
Once when a man died, the Prophet said : This man has gone from the world and left it for his family members. If he is please there, he will dislike to return to it again as someone of you dislikes to return to his mother's womb. The ^rophet said : A believer lives in the world like a foetus in mother's womb. When it comes out of it, it begins to cry and when it sees light, it dislikes to return to its former place. Similar is the condition of a believer. When he sees and meets his Lord, he dislikes to return to the world as a child dislikes to return to his mother's womb. The companion Abu Sayyed Khodri said : I heard the Prophet say The dead man sees one who washes him, who carries him and who places him in the grave.
TALK OF GRAVE TOWARDS A DEAD MAN
The Prophet said: When a dead man is placed in the grave, it says : 0 son of Adam, woe to you! Who kept you forgetful of Me? Don't you know that l am the abode of sorrows and sufferings, of intense darkness, of worms and insects? Why did you fear so much when you walked by my side? The Prophet said : A dead man sits in the grave and hears the footsteps of the living men. He does not talk with them, but his grave says : 0 son of Adam, woe to you! did nobody warns you of my narrow space, of stenchy and fearful condition of my worms and insects? What have you then prepared for me?
PUNISHMENT OF GRAVE AND QUESTIONS OF
MONKAR AND NAKIR
Hazrat Bara'a bin-Ajib reported: The Prophet came out along with us to pray funeral prayer of an Ansar. He sat by his grave and said thrice : 0 God, we seek refuge to you from the punishment of the grave. Then he said : When a believer advances towards the next world, God sends to him some angels with bright faces like the sun. They carry for him scent and coffin. They take their seats so far as the eyesight goes. When his life goes out, every angel of heaven and earth send blessings on him and the doors of heaven are opened up for him. There is no such door as does not greet to take his soul through it. It says : 0 Lord, this is Thy servant. Then He says : Return him, show him the honour I have prepared for him as I promised it. From this I have created you and unto it I shall return you. When they depart, he hears their footsteps. He is then asked : 0 servant, who is your
414 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
Lord! What is your religion? Who is your Prophet? He says : My Lord is Allah, my religion is Islam and my Prophet is Muhammad. These questions are asked in a very strong and stern manner. This is the last calamity which appears to a dead man. When he utters this, a proclaimer says : You have spoken the truth. To this effect, God says, God confirms those who believe with established formula.
Then someone with cheerful countenance and dressed with fragrant cloths says : Take good news of blessings of your Lord and Paradise of lasting peace. He'asked him: May God give you good news, who are you? He says : I am your pious deeds. By God, I don't know. If you were hasty in divine service and made delay in committing sins, may God give you reward of good. Then a proclaimer proclaims : Spread out abed of Paradise for him and open a door for him towards Paradise. Then he says : 0 God, bring the Resurrection very soon, so that I may return to my family members and wealth soon.
When an unbeliever advances towards the next world and cuts off connections with the world an angel with an hideous and ugly look comes to him with clothes of fire and shirt of tar to cover him with. When his life comes out, the angels of heaven and earth curse him and the doors of heaven are closed against him. When his soul is taken up, it suddenly falls down. Then it is said : 0 Lord, the heaven and earth do not accept the so-called servant of yours. God says : Return him and show him the punishment I have kept prepared for him. From it (earth) I have created him and unto it I will return him. When they go away, they hear their footsteps. He is then said : 0 servant, Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet? He says : I don't know. He says : Has he not communicated to you? Then an angel with the most ugly face full of stench comes to him and says Take good news of God's displeasure and lasting chastisement. He then asks : Who are you? He says : I am your evil deeds. By God, then an angel, blind, dumb and deaf is fixed for him. In his hand, there is a stiff iron rod. If all men want to lift it up, they can't do it. If a mountain is beaten therewith, it will be crushed to pieces. He beats him therewith and he is then crushed to dust. Then his soul is returned to his body again and he is then beaten on his face. Then everything except jinn and men hear its sound.
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 415
Then a proclaimer proclaims : Spread out to him two planks of fire and open a door towards Hell. Then it is complied with.
The Prophet said: The punishment of an unbeliever is is that in his grave, ninety nine serpents will be biting him and each serpent will have seven heads. This will continue upto the Resurrection Day.
Your must not express surprise at hearing the number of snakes as their number will increase according to the misdeeds of the unbeliever-pride, show, hatred and other evil characters and conducts. These will turn into snakes. Those who are well aware of soul realise and find these destructive sins. Those who cannot see them should not deny this, but seek its proofs. There are three matters to prove it.
PROOFS OF PUNISHMENT OF GRAVE
(1)The cause of your not seeing the sting of a serpent is this that your outward two eyes of this world were not made for its sight. The thing which can see the affairs of the next world belongs to the spiritual word. Don't you see how the companions of the Prophet believed in the descent of Gebrail although they did not see him with a physical body. They believed him as the Prophet testified it. If you believe him, then why do you disbelieve punishment in the grave? As an angel is not like man and animal, so the serpents which will bite the sinners and unbelievers in the grave do not belong to the class of serpents of the world. These are serpents of the next world and this can be understood by the senses of the next world.
(2)Remember the condition of a sleeping person. He sees in dream the sting of a serpent and feels also its pangs. Even it occurs that he rises up suddenly with a loud shriek, removes the sweat of his face and shifts elsewhere. He suffers pangs as a man in wakeful state suffers pangs of snake-bite. You see his body in a peaceful state and do not see any serpent around him. Yet it is a fact that he sees the serpents and feels their sting but it is not true in your case.- Therefore there is no untruth in the saying of the Prophet.
(3)You know that a serpent itself cannot give you pangs, but the poison which it throws in you gives you pangs. The poison itself is not pang, but the reaction which is creates in you gives
416 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
you punishment. If the reaction is caused without poison, it is sufficient as a punishment. The explanation of the punishment cannot be made without the relationship of a material object according to long established practice as pleasure of cohabitation cannot be explained without the relationship of a woman. The enjoyment of cohabitation can be also gained without cohabitation with woman. Similarly punishment can be meted out with agencies or material objects of punishment. The pangs which appear at the time of death, are like the pangs of snake-bite without the material figure of snake. The change of nature gives pangs just as separation of the objects of love or its death gives pain in mind. So death means that what was the objects of love before death has turned into objects of punishment soon after death. He who cuts off all connections from the world and does not love but God and remains anxious to meet with Him, gets release from the prison house of this world and mixes after death with his Beloved. Thus he gets happiness which is never cut off and is ever-lasting. The greater the properties of the world one possesses, the greater will be his punishment in the next world. The thing left at death, will be a cause of punishment and repentance.
If you neglect your good deeds and remain engaged is arguments and dialogues, you will be like the man mentioned below. A certain king arrests a man and keeps him in confinement for the purpose of cutting his hands and ears and taking out his eyes. The arrested man thinks all the nights weather the king will do these things with sword or with knife or with razor, but he never thinks of warding off the basic punishment. This is his sheer ignorance. So a man must think how to ward off punishment after death but not in what way the punishment will be meted out or happiness awarded. To enquire about this is to spend time in vain.
CONDITION OF A DEAD MAN
EXPRESSED IN DREAM
Know, 0 readers, that the light of self introspection and the result of experience communicate to us the condition of the dead and their fortunes and misfortunes, but the condition of the general masses cannot be known by such methods as it is not known in what state a man died. His place of fear is heart which is so secret and subtle that a God fearing man even does not know
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 417
it, not to speak of others. When a man dies, he is removed from this material world to a world which is unknown and spiritual and it cannot be seen with this material eye. An eye is created within the mind of every man but it is covered by him with passions and earthly desires and nothing of the spiritual world can be seen with that eye of heart unless the screen over it is removed. As this screen is removed from the eyes of the heart of the prophets, they can see the things of the spiritual world, and also the conditions of the dead men. For this reason, the Prophet saw the pressure of earth in case of Sa'ad-bin-Muaz and his daughter Zainab. Similarly when the father of Jaber was martyred, he saw his condition and said that God made him seat in His front and there was no screen between them. This is true in case of Prophets and God's friends.
The Prophet said: True dream is one-forty sixt part of Prophethood. It is not possible unless the screen from the heart is removed. For this reason dreamof men other than that of the pious men, cannot be believed. He who has got greater falsehoods in him cannot be trusted regarding his dream. He sees only medley of dreams. The Prophet advised for this to sleep after performing Wuzu the object of which is to bring internal purity. He whos soul is pure can see what will occur in future, just as the Prophet said in dream that he returned to Mecca. God says : God has shown his Prophet's dream as true. Dream and what is seen in dream about future events are wonders of God and miracles of men. This is one of the positive proofs of the existence of the spiritual world, but men do not ponder over it as they do not look to the wonderful events of soul. The real condition of dream is included within the subtlities of the spiritual world. A short illustration of this maybe given below.
SOUL IS A TRANSPARENT THING
LIKE MIRROR
Every thing is reflected in the mirror. What will occur from the beginning of creation up to the end has been recorded by God in Lauhe Mahfuz ( or Guarded Tablet) or Book of Deeds. What has happened or what will happen in the world has been recorded therein. That cannot be seen with the open material eye. That Guarded tablctis not a plank or a book, but it is just like the impresstthdfTe fitters of the Quran in mind and brain. When one reads it, he looks to it. If his brain or mind is searched for after
I
418 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
being split up, you will not find any impression of letters in it. As the impression of letters is not found therein, you will understand that similarly the affairs of the world are imprinted in the Guarded Tablet. As the outward figure is seen in the mirror if placed directly before it, sol; the pictures in the Guarded Tablet are seen if placed directly before the mirror of human soul. But if there are screens of refuges or uncleanliness over the mirror, no figure will be reflected in the mirror. Similarly if there are screen of passions, sins and love of world over the soul, the things of the Guarded Tablet cannot be reflected therein.

SOUL IS A MIRROR : In the soul effect of knowledge is reflected. Similarly the Guarded Tablet is a mirror. Therein is reflected all the effects of knowledge. Passions and temptations are screens between the two mirrors. For this reason, the things of the Guarded Tablet are nor reflected in soul. That is included within the spiritual world. If owing to the effect of the blowing of wind, the screen is partly and' temporarily removed, then something of the spiritual world is reflected for a short time like the sparkling of electricity in the mirror of soul. So long as he remains awake, the affairs of this material world and the five senses keep him engaged. That is the screen for the spiritual world. The meaning of sleep is that then the senses remain passive and they do not exercise any influence over soul at the time. When the soul is free from these senses and their bases are cleared off, the screen over the Guarded Tablet is lifted up and something therefrom is reflected in his soul just as a figure of one mirror falling upon another mirror without figure is reflected.

Sleep keeps the mind free from the working of the senses but does not keep i t free from the ideas and thoughts of the world. An idea follows what falls upon heart. Illustration can be given of it. This idea is established in brain and takes permanent root. When he gets up from sleeps, he remembers the idea. Take up an example. Once a man said to Ibn-Sirin : I dreamt that I have got a seal in my hand whereaith I am putting seals on the faces of men and on female organs. He then said : You are a proslaimer of Azan, you will proclaim Azan at the time of Fair in the month of Ramazan, He said : You have spoken the truth. Now look to the meaning of 'seal' which is to prohibit. That is reflected in the man's soul from what is within the Guarded Tablet. To prohibit the people from food and drink is that thing. The meaning of
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 419
closing with seal is to prohibit. Brain contains no figure but a picture of the figure born out of ideas. This is the better explanation of the sea of dream which is limitless.
Sleep is the brother of death and death is one of the open mysteries of creation. There is similarity between sleep and death as in both of them there is reflection of the spiritual world. Even a sleeping man can get sign of what will happen in future. By death the screen is fully removed and man can see rapidly his reward and punishment at the time of death. The Quran says : You are unmindful of this. I have removed the screen from you, as a result your sight to-day is very sharp (50:22). 'And there appeared to them from God what they could not conjecture before. Now think of the saying of the Prophet : Love what you like but you shall have to leave it. Live as long as you wish, but you shall have to die. Do what you like, but you shall have to get its return.' So live in the world like a sojourner and don't place one brick upon another and one plank over another for your habitation. Don't amass wealth, don't take anyone besides God as your bosom friend. The Prophet said : Had I had taken anyone as my bosom friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as such, but your companion is the bosom friend of the Merciful. This shows that the real friendship with the Merciful was imbedded in his soul and the love of God filled up his entire heart. The Prophet therefore said : If you love God, follow me, God will then love you (Quran).

SECTION 2
There are in this section the following matters-(1) Blowing of Trumpet. (2) Discriptions of the Resurrection. (3) Perspiration, (4) Duration of Resurrection, (5) Fearful events of the day, (6) Questions to the sinners (7) Balance, (8) The Bridge, (9) Intercession, (10) Fountain, (11) Paradise, (12) Hell, (13) Divine vision and (14) God's mercy.
(1) Blowing of Trumpet. God says: There will be blowing of Trumpet. As a result, all in Heaven and earth will fall in swoon except those who are saved by God. There after there will be another blowing of Trumpet. Then they will standup, looking on-39:68. God says : When there will be blowing of Trumpet, it will be a very grievous day, it will not be easy for the unbelievers. God says in verse 23:101-When the Trumpet will be blown,
420 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
there will be no more relationship between them that day, nor will one ask another. God says in verse 69:13-When one blast is sounded on the Trumpet and the earth is moved and its mountains etc. The Prophet said : 'How can I enjoy happiness when the angel of Trumpet is awaiting and hearing attentively turning his forehead to one side when there will be order for the blowing of Trumpet and when he will blow Trumpet ?'The angel Israfil is keeping his mouth attached to the Trumpet just like a trumpet in war. The circumference of the mouth of this Trumpet is like that of the heavens and earth. He is awaitiong order fixing his gaze towards the Throne. Immediately after receiving order, he will blow the Trumpet for the first time. As a result of this, all in the heaven and earth will expire except Gebrail, Michael, Israfil and Izraile. Then God will order to take the life of Gebrail and then that of Michael and than that of Israfil. Then the angel of death will take out his life himself. After the first blowing, all the created beings will remain in Barzakah for 40 years. Then God will restore life to Israfil and order him to blow the Trumpet again. The Quran says : Then there will be second blowing when they will stand up looking on-39:68.

(2) Resurrection. The Prophet said : On the Resurrection Day, men will be gathered together in such a field which is white, clean and round like a loaf. There will remain no sign therein. The narrator explained that the whiteness is not like that of snow. Clean means there will be no structure or building wherein recourse is taken. There will no distance out of sight. Think not that the ground will be like this ground. God says : When this world will be changed into another world and the heavens too, the whole world will then be full of darkness. The sky will fall down into pieces and flow like molten silver. Everybody will stand up naked. The Prophet said : Every man will be raised up naked and circumcised. Their perspiration will rise up upto their ears. Hazrat Sauda asked a the Prophet : 0 Prophet of God, if we stand up naked, will not anybody look at others ? He said 'everybody will be busy with himself. That will be a fearful day. The hidden things will be disclosed and nobody will be safe. Some will crawl upon their bellies and some upon their faces. The Prophet said : On the Resurrection Day, men will be divided into three classes, some will be coming on riding, some on foot and some on faces. One man asked : 0 Prophet of God, how will they come walking on their faces ? He said : He who can make men
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 421
walk on foot, can also make them walk on their faces. Man denies what he is not accustomed to. If man did not see serpents crawling on their bellies, he would not have believed it. He who walks without foot would have disbelieved one who walks on foot.
(3) Perspiration. All the creations before and after will be gathered together in one place-the creations of seven heavens and seven earths, angels, jinn, men, devils, birds and beasts. The sun will shed lustre on them and the lustre will be increased manifold. It will shine very close to them. There will be no shade on the earth except the shade of the Merciful destined for the pious. Everybody will therefore give out perspiration. It will rise up to them according to their actions in the world and upto waists of some, upto ears of some, and some will be drowned therein. The Prophet said : Remember the day when the whole mankind will stand up before the Lord, even some of them will be drowned upto their ears. The Prophet also said : On the Resurrection Day there will be perspiration of men, so much so that it will rise upto the height of seventy cubits and upto their ears. The Prophet also said : They will stand up looking towards the sky for 40 years and owing to excessive heat perspiration will almost drown them. The Prophet said : On the Resurrection Day, the sun will come very near the earth and men will perspire. It will rise upto the waists of some, to the feet of some, to the knees of some, to the face of some and it will drown some." This will occur before accounts of actions are taken. Know, 0 men, that those who did not perspire in the world in the way of God, pilgrimage, fast, prayer, Jehad, advice to do good and prohibition from evils, will perspire on the Resurrection Day.
(4). Duration of Resurrection. In the vast field of Resurrection, all the creations will be looking upwards without any talk and with fearful heart for a period of 300 years. They will have no food or drink and no breeze. The Prophet read this verse : What will be your condition on the Day when God will gather you together ? That day will continue for 50 thousand years and He will not look to you. The Prophet said when asked about the Resurrection Day : By One in whose hand there is my life, that day will be made easy for a believer more easy than the obligatory prayers.
422 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
Try to be one of the believers. You have got freedom of actions till your last breath. Be prepared for the great Day and take provisions for the Day.
(5) Terrible sufferings of the Day: 0 wreatced man, be prepared for the terrible day of which the events are most fearful, duration long, judge very strict and time is near. You will see the sky rent asunder, the stars seattered all round out of His fear, the sun overturned, the mountains displaced, the creatures gathered, the oceans swollen, fires of Hell enkindled, Paradise near, mountains roaming the earth changed with terrible earth-quakes, the mountains will become like cleaning of cotton, every suckling woman will forget her child, every pregnaat woman will suffer abortion and the punishment of God will be most grievous.
The earth will become a vast plain with no unevenness or crookedness. Every man on that Day will be presented with his good or bad deeds. Tongue will then be closed and every limb will speak. On hearing the terrible nature of the day, the Prophet become grey haired. Hazrat Abu Bakr one day asked the Prophet
0 Prophet of God, I see you greyhaired. He said : The chapters Hud, Waqeah, Murselat and such other chapters have made me grey- haired.
(6) Rendering accounts of worldly affairs: On that day, everyone. young or old will be asked of his deeds in the world. The angels with big bodies and terrible figures will come down and they will catch hold of the sinners and bring them to God. The Prophet said : There is such an angel of God, the distance of whose two eyes is equal to the distance of one hundred years' journey. God says : I will ask them of what they did including every Prophet. The Prbphet said : There is no such man with whom there will an interpreter or screen at the time when God will ask him. The Prophet said : Every man among you will stand before God and there will be no screen between him and God. He will say to him : Did I not give you gifts ? Did I not give you wealth and properties ? He will reply : Yes. He will see Hell on his two sides. So save yourself from Hell giving in charity of a portion of even a date. Muzahed says : No man will place his feet near God till he is asked four things, how he spent his life, how he translated his learning into action, how he wasted his body, in what way he spent his wealth and wherefrom he earned it.
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 423
(7) Weights and Measures (Balance): After accounts are taken, people will be divided into three classes-One class of people will have no virtue. A prolonged neck will come out of Hell and overtake them just as a bird takes seeds of corn and throw them into Hell. The second class of men will have no sin. They will enter Paradise. Those who pray at night will be included among this class. Those who have not been diverted from the remembrance of God by the worldly affairs will be among this class. Those who have not been diverted from the remembrance of God by the worldly affairs will be among them. The third class of men will be the majority and will have good and bad deeds mixed together. Then the Balance will be set for them to weight which of the actions good or bad is greater. A great commotion will be created at that time.

Once Prophet's head was lying in the lap of Hazrat Ayesha and she was weeping remembering the Hereafter and her tears fell on the cheek of the Prophet. He rose up and asked : 0 Ayesha, why do you weep ? She said : I remember the Hereafter, Will you remember your wives on the Resurrection Day ? The Prophet said : By One in whose hand there lies my life nobody will remember anybody in three places : (1) When the Balance will be set up to weight the deeds, (2) when the books of deed will be given till he sees whether they are placed in his right hand or left hand, (3) and near the Bridge.

The Prophet said: God will say to Adam : Rise up and see the number of the dwellers of Hell He will ask : What is the number of the dwellers in Hell ? God will say : 999 persons out of every thousand. When the companions heard it, the clours of their face became completely changed. The Prophet then said : Go on doing deeds and take good news. By One in whose hand there is my life, you have got two creations with you-children of Adam and the children of the devil. One of them destroys the other. The companions asked : What is that ? He said : Gog and Mogog At this, the comapnions were pleased. The Prophet said : Do actions and take good news. You will have such distinction on the Resurrection Day as there are black signs on the sides of camels or signs in the eyes. of horses.
424 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 425
RETRIBUTION AND RECOMPENSE

He whose scale will be heavy will live in happiness and he whose scale will be light will go to Hell. Nobody will be safe there except one who takes account of himself in this world. He weighs his actions in the scale of Shariat in this world as Hazrat Omar said Take account of your actions before your actions are taken account of, weigh your actions before your actions are weighed upon. The meaning of taking account is to repent with sincere heart before death for all the sins committed to look to the shgi tcomings in the obligatory duties, to return the properties to the true owners taken unjustly or by oppression, to make compensation for the wrongs done to others by tongue and hands, to redress for wrong notions against anybody. If he dies without doing these duties, his enemies will surround him. Some one will say : You have oppressed me. Some one will say : You have rebuked me. Some one will say : You have put me to jest and back-bited me. Some one will say : You have engaged me as a labourer but you have not paid my wages. Someone will say : You have sold me a thing but you have played fraud with me, you have concealed from me the defects in the sold thing. Someone will say : You were above want, while I was in want and you have not given me food. Someone will say : You have flattered the oppressor or did not remove his oppession from me although you had such power. God says : Don't think that God is unmindful of what the oppressors do. He puts them off for a day when their eyes will be sharp. They will flee with raised heads. They will look to him. Their hearts will be vacant-14:42. The Prophet once said : Do you know who are really the poor ? We said : 0 Prophet of God, he among us is poor who has got no money or property. He said : He is poor among my followers who will bring with him his prayer, fast and Zakat but on account of his childing others, backbiting others, misappropriating the properties of others and cheating others, his virtues will be given to them. If his virtues are found short but still their claims remain fully unsatisfied, their vices will fall upon him and he will be thrown into Hell.

(8) The subtle Bridge: This is a long bridge over Hell which is sharper than award and more subtle than hair. He who treads on straight and right path in this world will cross it easily on the Resurrection Day and will get salvation. He who is misguided and saddled with sins will slip therefrom at the first step and will fall down into Jahannam below. Below the Bridge, there is the fire
of Hell. The sinners will fall down below with their heads downwards and legs upwards. The Prophet will say then : 0, my Lord, make us safe, make us safe. The wailings and cries of the dwellers of Hell will reach your ears. What will be your condition then?
The Prophet said: The bridge will be placed over the back of Hell. I will be the first to cross it along with my followers. None will speak that day except the apostles. They will cry, 0 Lord, make us afe.
The Prophet said : People will cross the Bridge over Hell. There will be thorns and iron pegs thereon which will catch the sinners from every side. Some will cross it like lightning, some like the blowing of wind, some like running of horse, some will walk, some will walk on their breasts. The inmates of Hell will not live or die and they will be burnt by fire. The Prophet said : God will gather together all the creasures from first to last on a fixed day. They will keep standing in that condition for 40 years looking towards the sky and waiting for Judgment. Hazrat Annas reported : I heard the Prophet say : The Bridge will be sharp like sword and thin like hair. The angels will give salvation to the believing males and females. Gebrail will catch my waist and I will say : 0 Lord, give us a salvation, give us salvation. The number of those who will slip down will be numerous.
(9) Intercession: When a party are adjudged to dwell in Hell, God may accept intercession on their behalf by the Prophets and the truthful ones. Those who are near God can intereede for their relatives and dear ones. The Prophet once cried out saying : My followers my followers. God said : 0 Gebrail, go and ask Muhammad why he is weeping. Gebrail came and asked him accordingly. He said : God knows it best. God said: 0 Gebrail go to Muhammad and tell him : I will soon satisfy you regarding your followers and will not forget you. The Prophet said : I have been given five things which were not given to the Prophets before me. The power of intercession is one of them. Each Prophet waa sent to a particular nation and I have been sent for the whole mankind. The Prophet said : On the Resurrection Day, I will be the leader of the Prophets, their mouth-piece and having right of intercession. There is no pride in it.
426 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 427
The Prophet said: God will gather together all the creatures before and after in one field. The sorrows of some will go to the extreme and some of them will say to the others : Let us go to Adam. They will come to Adam and tell him to intercede for them to relieve them of their sorrows and difficulties. Adam will say to them : Today my Lord grew into such a rage as had never happened before. He prohibited me not to go to the tree but I disobeyed it. I am busy with myself.
They will then go to Noah. Noah will say to them : I am busy with myself as I invoked wrath of God against my people. Go to Abraham, the friend of God. They will then come to Abraham but he will say that he spoke three lies for which he is anxious for himself. He will say : Go to Moses. They will then come to Moses, but he will say : I killed a man without order from God. I am busy with myself. Go to Jesus. They will then come to Jesus who will say : I am busy with myself. Go to Muhammad. They will then come to Muhammad. He will go to the Throne and will fall in prostration and say: 0 my followers, 0 my followers.
(10) Fountain: The Fountain is a honoured gift. It will be given to our Prophet. There is one special attribute of the Fountain that if a man drinks a sip therefrom, he will never be thirsty. Anas reported that the Prophet one day rose from sleep and began to laugh. The companions asked him : Why do you langh, 0 Prophet of God ? He said : I laugh for only one verse which has just been revealed to me. Then he recited the verse 108 of the Quran : I have given you Kausar. So pray for your Lord, and do offer sacrifice. He asked : Do you know what is Kausar ? The companions said : God and his Prophet know best. He said That is a river. God promised me to award it to me. There is abundant good in it. Therein there is a fountain. My followers will come to it for water on the Resurrection Day. Its pots are numerous like the stars in heaven. The Prophet said : When I was travelling in Paradise, I came to a river of which the two sides are woven with jewels. I asked : 0 Gebrail, what is it ? He said : It is Kausar. Your Lord gifted it to you. The angel struck it with his hand and it was seen that its earth was made of musk. The Prophet said: The distance of the two banks of my fountain is like that of Medina and Sana'a or Medina and Omman.
The Prophet said with regard to Kausar that it is a river in Paradise whose sides are made of gold. It's waters are whiter
than milk, sweeter than honey, more fragrant than musk. That is flowing upon the bases of emeralds and jewels.
The Prophet said: The first batch who will come for its water is the poor refugees. The hairs of their heads will be dishevelled, their clothes uncleans, no woman married them and no door of honour was opened for them.
The Prophet was asked about the number of its pitchers. He said : By One in whose hand there is my life, they are numerous as the stars in the sky in a dark night. He who drinks therefrom will never be thirsty. The Prophet said : Every Prophet will have a fountain. They will take pride about the number of people who will come to drink therefrom. I expect that my followers will be greatest among them.
(11) Paradise: The Prophet said: Some one will declare : 0 dwellers of Paradise, you will live in Paradise healthy without any ailment. You will live therein forever and you will never die. You will enjoy therein permanent youth and you will never become old. You will forever live there in happiness and you will never suffer troubles. This is the declaration of God. The Prophet said : He who spent two kinds of property in the way of God will be welcomed to Paradise from each of its doors. Paradise has got eight doors. He who prayed will be called from the door of prayer. He who paid Zakat will be called from the door of Zakat. He who fought will be called from the door of Jihad. Hazrat Abu Bakr said: It appears that each one will be called from each door. Is there any person who will be welcomed from all the doors? He said: someone will get that welcome. I hope I will be one of them.
The Prophet said: When I will come to the door of Paradise and order it to be opened, the guard will say : Who are you ? I will say : I am Muhammad. He will say : I have been ordered not to open it before you entered.
The Prophet said: The dwellers of Paradise will see the inhabitants above their heads just as you see the stars in the horizon from east to west. This is because of their high status. The companions asked : 0 Messenger of God, that is the status of the Prophets and none will get that position except the Prophets. The Prophet said : That is true. By One in whose hand there is my life, there are men who believed in God and believed the Prophet as true. He said : The owners of the high status will be seen from their
428 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
places just as you see the bright star in the horizon. Among them there will be Abu Bakr and Omar and they will be given blessings.
The Prophet said once to Jaber : Shall I not give you the news of the windows of Paradise ? We said : 0 Messenger. of God give us that information. He said : Those are made of emeralds and jewels. Their inner parts will be seen from their outer parts. Therein there will be such enjoyments, amusements and joys as no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no heart has conceived. I said : 0 Messenger of God, who will be the owners of those windows ? He said: Those who spread peace, give food, keep fasts, pray at night when the people remain asleep. We asked : 0 Messenger of God, who will be able to do that ? He said : My people will be able to do that. I am saying it to you. He who meets his brother, salutes him and replies to his salute,' spreads peace; and he who gives food to his wife and members of his family to their satisfaction gives food. He who keeps fast of Ramazan and three days every month, keeps fast as it were for the whole year. He who prays Isha and Fajr in congregation prays as it were the whole night when the people remain asleep. God says : The fine buildings in Eden Paradise.' The Prophet said regarding its meanings : These places are builts of emeralds and jewels and in each building there will be 70 rooms of red colour and in each room 70 sub-rooms of green colour and in each sub-room there will be one throne and over each throne 70 beds of varied colours and on each bed a girl having sweet black eyes. There will be 70 dining cloth in each room and 70 kinds of food in each dining cloth. There will be seven girls in each room. Each believe will be given such strength in the morning as he can cohabit with them.
WALLS OF PARADISE
The Prophet said : The walls of praradise are built of bricks of gold and silver, its dust of saffron and earth of camphor. The rivers of paradise flows under the mountains of camphor. If there remains a single ornament of the dwellers of paradise, that will be equal to all the ornaments of the world. The Prophet said. There are trees in paradise. Under their shade, a rider can pass one hundred years' journey without any obstruction. To this effect, the Quran says-And extended shade.
Vol-IV THE COOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 429
DRESSES OF DWELLERS OF PARADISE
God says : They will be given bangles of gold and jewels and dresses of silk. There are innumerable verses regarding this. The Prophet said : He who will enter paradise will live in happiness, he will have no want, his dresses will not grow old and his youth will not end. He will get such things in-paradise as no eye has seen no ear has heard and no heart has conceived. He said : Twice fruits will come out of trees every year. He said : The faces of first group in paradise will be bright like full moon. They will not spit therein, nor throw cough, no- urinate. Their pots and combs will be made of gold and silver. Each one of them will have two wives. On account of their beauty, their hind bones will be seen from the front sides. They will have no differences, no malice and no hatred. They will proclaim the glory of God morning and evening. In another narration each wife will have seventy dresses. God says : They will be dressed with bangles of gold. The Prophet said : On their heads there will be caps of gold. A small piece of jewel therein will brighten what is between the east and the west. The Prophet said : There will be camps made of emeralds. Their height will be sixty miles. In each corner, there will be girls for the believers who will not be seen by the other girls.
FOOD OF THE INMATES OF PARADISE
The Quran speaks of the food of the inmates of Paradise fruits, birds, Manna, Salwa, honey, milk and other varieties. God says : Whenever they will be given any food, they will say : similar foods were given to us before. God says about their drink in the following narration. Once a Jewish learned man came to the Prophet and asked him : Who will first cross the Bridge ? He said : The poor refugees : The Jew asked again : When they will enter paradise, what food will be served to them first ? He said : Roasts of the livers of fish. He asked again : What will be their morning lunch ? He said : Cows of paradise will be slaughtered for them. He said : What drink will be given to them ? He said They will be given drink of Salsabil. The Jew said : You have spoken the truth. Once a Jew asked the Prophet : Do you think that the inmates of paradise will eat and drink ? The Prophet said Yes, by One in whose hand there is my life, each one of them will be given food, drink and strength of one hundred man to have sexual intercourse. The Jew asked : Will he have any necessity of passing urine and stools ? The Prophet said : In place of urine and
430 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
stool, perspiration will come out of them like camphor and as a result their stomach will be cleared therefor. The Prophet said to Ibn-Masud : If. you wish to eat a bird in paradise, it will fall before you at once cooked and fried up.
HURS AND GELMAN (BOYS)
The Prophet said: If a woman of Paradise would have peeped up into this world everything therein would have been illuminated and filled up with fragrance. Every hair of her head is better than than the earth and its treasures. God says : They are like Eakut and Marjan. If their faces are seen within screen, they will be more clear than mirrors and the smallest jewel therein will illuminate what is in the heaven and earth. The Prophet said : In the night in which I was taken to heaven, I entered a place in Paradise named Baidakh whose camps are of emeralds and green pearls and red Eakut. They asked : 0 Prophet of God, Salam to you. I asked : 0 Gebrail, whose sound is there ? He said : of the beautiful women in camps. They seek your permission to salute you. So give them permission. They will be saying : We are pleased therewith. We will never be dissatisfied. We will remain here forever, we will never travel. Then he recited the verse : The beautiful damsels detained in camps. In another verse : Pure women. Muzaher explained this by saying that they will be free menstruation, urine, stool, cough and children.
A man asked the Prophet : 0 Prophet of God, will the inmates of Paradise have sexual intercourse ? He said: Anybody among them will be given sexual strength of seven, persons among you. The Prophet said : An inmate of Paradise will have five hundred hurs, four thousand unmarried women and eight thousand widowed women. Each of them will keep embracing him for the duration of his whole worldly life time. He also said: There will be markets in Paradise in which there will be no buy and sale, but there will be men and women. If any man will wish to have sexual intercourse with a woman, he will do at once. The Hurs will sing in Paradise on divine purity and praise-we are most beautiful Hurs and we are for the honoured husbands.
OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF PARADISE
The Prophet said to a man: 0 servant of God, if you enter Paradise, you will get what you will desire, what your eyes will
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 431
be pleased with. The Prophet said : If an inmate of Paradise will wish to have a son born to him, he will get it. Its stay in womb, its weaning away from milk and its youth will come to pass at the same time. He also said : The inmantes of Paradise will be beardless and hairless. Their colour will be white and their eyes painted with collyrium. They will be youths of 33 years of age. They will be sixty cubits long and seven cubits broad. He also said : The lowest rank of an inmate of Paradise will have eighty thousand servants and seventy two wives. In short there will be such bliss in Paradise which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no heart has conceived.
(12) Hell: God says: 'There is nobody among you who will not come to.. it (Hell). That is an affair decreed by God. Thereafter I will give salvation to those who are Godfearing and leave those who are sinners.' So it is certain that you will also go there. What hope have you got for salvation ? The Prophet said : There are seventy thousand valleys in Hell and in each valley 70,000 serpents and 70,900 scropoins. The unbelievers and hypocrites will meet them. He said : Seek refuge from 'Jubbul Hujn". He was asked : 0 Prophet of God, what is Jubbul Hujn ? He said : A valley in Hell. The Hell seeks refuge from it seventy times. God prepared it for those who do divine service for show of man. There are seven layers of Hell. The first and highest layer is called Jahannam, the second layer is called Sakher, lower than it is jai, lower than it is Hotamah, lower than it is Saierr lower than it is Jahim and lowest layer is Habiyah.
While we were with Prophet, we heard suddenly a great sound. The Prophet said : Do you know what this sound is ? We said : God and His Prophet know it best. He said : It is the sound of a stone. it was falling down from the topmost portion of Hell for the last 70 years and now it reached the bottom. The Prophet said : The least punishment that will be meted out to an inmate of Hell will be two shoes of fire, on account of their heat his brain will bubble. Now think of the heavy punishments. The Prophet said that the fire of Hell was washed seventy times by the water of mercy and sent to this world and it has been made then suitable for its inmantes.
The Prophet said explaining the fire of Hell. God ordered the fire of Hell to burn for one thousand years. It then became yellow.
432 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 433
Thereafter it burnt for another one thousand years and it then became white. It then burnt for another one thousand years. It then became black. It is now black and full of darkness. The Prophet said : If a basketful pus of Hell would have been thrown into this world, everything in the world would have been stenchy. This will be the drinks of the inmates of Hell. Whenever they will ask for drink, they will be given this stenchy pus. Death will come to them from every side but they will not die. If they want drink, they will be given drink like heated molten lead. It will burn their mouths.

Then look to their food. It will be fruits from Zaqqum tree. God says : It is a tree which will grow from the bottom of Hell and it will have branches like the hands of the devil. They will eat therefrom and it will fill their bellies. then heated water will be thrown upon their bodies and then they will be taken to Jahim. God says : We have got Chains and Jahim and throat-choking food and severe punishment. The Prophet said : If a drop of Zaqqum would fall into the sea of this would the inmates of the world would have found it very difficult to live in it. The Prophet said : The dwellers of Hell will have hunger. If they want food, they will be given thorns of poison. It will not give strength nor satisfy hunger. Thereafter they will ask for food and they will be given food that will choke their throat. They will then ask for drink and they will be given heated hot water with heated iron rods. When it will be brought close to their mouth, their mouth will be burnt. When it will enter their stomach, the entrails will be cut off. They will say : Call the guard of Hell. When he will come, they will say to him : Tell your Lord to alleviate our punishment for a single day. He will say : Did not any Prophet come to you with proofs ? They-will say : Yes, he came. Then they will say Pray to God. He will say : The prayers of the unblievers will be turned into nought.

Now think of the serpents and scorpions of Hell. They will be constant companions of the inmates of Hell. Not a moment will pass on them without their sting. The Prophet said : The wealth given to a man who did not pay its Zakat will be turned into serpent on the Resurrection Day. It will cling to his shoulders in the Resurrection Day. It will say : I am your wealth, I am your hidden treasure. They he recited this verse : If they are miser with regard to the wealth which God has given to them don't think
that it will do them good, rather it will do them evil. On the Resurrection Day, their amassed wealth will cling to their necks. The Prophet said : There are serpents in Hell like the necks of the camels of Bukht. If one of them stings once, the effects of its poison will continue for 40 years. They are so poisonous that if one of them stings once, its effect of poison will continue for 40 years. These serpents and scropoins will sting those people who were misers, meted out bad treatment with the peoples and gave them trouble.
The Prophet said : The front teeth of the inmates of Hell will be.so big as the mount Uhud and the thickness of his skin will be the distance of three days journey. The Prophet said that his upper lip would fall upon his breast and will cover his face. The Prophet said : On that day, Hell will be brought. It will have seventy thousand bridle and with each bridle there will be seventy thousand angels. He also said. Weeping will be sent to the inmates of Hell. They will continue to weep till blood comes out. Their faces will become like cultivated ditches. If any boat is floated therein, it will easily float. The Prophet said : Death will be brought on the Resurrection Day as if it is a sheep of white colour and it will be slaughtered between Hell and Paradise. It will be said : 0 inmates of paradise, you will live here permanently without death. 0 inmatres of Hell, you will live here permanently without death.
These are in brief the descriptions of Hell and it has got no end. Another punishment is that they will be deprived of the heavenly bliss and divine sight and pleasure.
(13) Vision of God: God says : For those who do good there are rewards and additional rewards. This additional reward is nothing but the vision of God which is the most tasteful of all rewards. The happiness of paradise is insignificant in comparison with that gained by the sight of the Lord. The Prophet said once looking to the full moon : As you see this moon, so you will see your Lord. You will not be tired of His sight. He said : Pray before sun-set and sun- rise. Then he read the verse : Glorify your Lord before the setting and rising of the sun. The Prophet said : When the dwellers of paradise will enter paradise, some one will proclaim : 0 dwellers of paradise, God wishes to fulfil what He promised you. The companions asked
434
What is that promise ? Has He not filled up our Balance ? Has He not brightened our faces and admitted us in paradise ? Has He not saved us from the fire of Hell? At that time, the screen will be lifted and they will be gazing at the glorious God. Nothing will be dearer to them at that time than His sight. ?This is the greater reward. At that time they will forget every enjoyment and happiness. There is no limit to this happiness and no example.
(14) God's mercy
The end of the book "The Revival of religious learning"
We have, by the grace of God, finished the book "The Revival of religious learning" and we hope for God's grace and blessings. God says : God does not forgive setting up partnership with Him. But He forgives one besides this whom He wishes. God says : 0 those who have made oppression on their souls, don't be deprived of God's mercy. God can forgive all sins. He is forgiving, kind.
We pray to God for forgiveness for the mistakes we committed in this book or exceeded, for the thoughts mixed advertently in what we wished and intended. We pray to God for forgiveness for those who read this book write it or hear it. The Prophet said : God has got one hundred mercies, out of which He distributed one among men jinn, beasts, birds and lower beings with the remaining 99 mercies left to Him. He will show them on the Resurrection Day on His servants.
The Prophet said: On the Resurrection day, God will take out a writing from undrneth.the Throne wherein it was written : My mercy has defeated My anger. I am the Most Merciful. The Prophet said: God will laugh for us on the Resurrection Day and say: Give good news to the Muslims. There is nobody among them in whose exchange I have not placed a Jew or a Christian in Hell. Teh Prophet said: God will give the power of intercession to ten crores and ten thousand men out of the children of Adam. He also said: God will say to the believers on the Resurrection Day: Did you want My vision? They will say: 0 our lord, we wanted. He will ask: Why? They say: We hoped for Thy forgiveness and mercy. Then He will say: l have made My forgiveness sure for you.
The Prophet said: The Glorious Lord will say on the Resurrection Day: Take out the man from Hell who remembered
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 435
Me for a single day or feared Me in a critical place. The Prophet said: When the inmates of Hell will assemble in Hell with those of people of the Book, the unbelievers will say to the Muslims: Were you not Muslims? They will say: Yes. They will say: What benefit did you derive by your acceptance of Islam? You are with us now in Hell. They will say: We committed sins for which we receive this punishment. On hearing this, God will pass order to take them out of Hell. They will, then come out of Hell. When the unbelievers will see it, they will say: Woe to us! would that we were Muslims, we could have come out of Hell like them. Then the Prophet read this verse: Those who are unbelievers will wish honestly that how good it would have been if they were Muslims.
The Prophet said: God will show mercy on the believers much more than a mother showing affection to her child. The Prophet said: A proclaimer will proclaim on the resurrection day from behind the Throne : 0 the followers of Muhammad, I have forgiven the trust which I reposed in you. Now there remain in your rights. Give them one to another and enter paradise through My mercy. Hazrat Ibn Obadah reported : I heard the Prophet say : God made Hell unlawful for one who testifies that there is no deity but God and that Muhammad is His Messenger,
The Prophet said: God will say to the angels on the Resurrection Day : Take out the man from Hell in whom you find good even to the measure of a dinar. They will say : 0 Lord, we have taken them out whom you have ordered us to take out. Then He will say: Go and take out one in whom you find good to the weight of half a dinar. Then they will take out many men. They will say : We have taken out those whom you h ave ordered us to take out. He will say : Go and take out one in whom you find good to the weight of a mustard seed. Then they will take out many men. They will then say : 0 our Lord, we have taken out those whom you have ordered us to take out.
The Prophet said: God will say : The apostles have interceded, the Prophets interceded and the believers interceded. There is none now except the Most Merciful. He will take out of Hell by His Hand a party of men who never did any good deed. They became like burnt coal and they-will be thrown in a river of life in the mouth of paradise. They will come out of-that river as straw is swept away by current. Don't you see the trees and stones that face the sun taking green colour and those that
DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
436 DEATH AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Vol-IV
remained in shade assume white colour? They said: 0 Apostle of God, you are as it were wandering in plains. He said : They will come out like jewels with necklace on their necks.

Ibn Abbas reported : One day the Prophet came out to us and said': All the nations were presented to me. With a prophet, there was only one man, with another there were only two, with another there was nobody, and with another there were a party of men. I found many parties with one Prophet. It was said to me that he was Moses and those people were his followers. I was said : Look on and I found numerous people covering the whole horizon. I was said that these are my followers. Out of these, there are seventy thousand people who will enter Paradise without account. The Prophet said : God has promised me that He will aa.nit seventy thousand of my followers in paradise without account, I prayed for more to Lord and I found Him merciful. He told me to give salvation seventy thousand men with every man of the above mentioned seventy thousands. I said : 0 Lord, will my followers reach that limit? He said : I will give salvation for you numerous persons like the number of the entire Arabs.

The Prophet said: Gebrail came to the cave Hira and said to me : Give good news to your followers that he who dies without setting up a partner with God will enter paradise. I asked : 0 Gebrail, even if he steals and fornicates? He said : Even if he steals and fornicates. This was repeated thrice. The Prophet once recited this verse : From him who fears God, there are two gardens. The narrator asked : Even if he steals and fornicates? The Prophet said: Even if he steals and fornicates.

The Prophet said: No Muslim will die till he sees his place in Hell filled up by a Jew or a Christian. It was reported that a child was searching his mother in a battle field. Afterwards finding his mothevhe came running to her. She took her child in her lap and cried out : My child, my child, The Prophet said to his companions. God will show more kindness to you than the mother showing affection to her child. At this, the Muslims were overjoyed and went away. From this Hadis we may cherish hope that God will shower His blessings and kindness on us, even though we are not fit for such favours.

THE END

E-mail: webmaster - Sign the Guest Book - Imam Ghazali Home

Page Information:

• This Page was last updated on: 26 Jun 2003 00:21:32 -0500

• This page was created April 1,  2003.

• Page URL: www.muslimphilosophy.com/gz/ihya/english/ihya-vol4-C10.htm. 

• A reader is needed for PDF files and it is available free of charge from Adobe.

• About the Islamic Philosophy Online Project.

• Reporting copyright infringement.

• Site © Copyright 2003 by Islamic Philosophy Online, Inc. A not-for-profit organization dedicated to academic study of Islamic philosophy. Individual content may have its own individual copyrights. See copyright information.